Chapter OnePneumonia strikes
In a little district west of Washington Square, the streets have run crazy and have broken the district into strange shapes.1 This district is called Greenwich Village. An artist once discovered a valuable feature of this district. On such streets, it is very likely that a bill collector with a bill for paints, paper, and canvas would get lost while trying to find the address of the artist who owes him money!2 So, artists came in large numbers to quaint, old Greenwich Village.
At the top of an ugly, three-story brick apartment building, Sue and Johnsy rented a small studio. Sue was from Maine; Johnsy was from California. They had met at a small cafe on Eighth street and found that their tastes in art, food, and clothes were so much alike that they decided to rent a place together.3 That was in May.
What is not true about Sue and Johnsy?
They have a lot in common.
They live in the same apartment.
They often buy paints and paper on credit.
Key Words & Sentences
pneumonia (n): bệnh viêm phổi
strike (v): tấn công
district (n): quận, huyện
shape (n): hình dạng
discover (v): khám phá
valuable (adj): đáng giá
feature (n): điểm đặc trưng
bill collector (n): người giữ, thu tiền
từ hóa đơn bán hàng
get lost (idiom): bi lạc
A owe(s) B: A nợ B (một cái gì đó)
quaint (adj): có vẻ cổ kính/kỳ lạ
brick (n): gạch
rent (v): thuê, mướn
studio (n): xưởng sáng tác (của nghệ sĩ)
taste (n): sở thích
alike (adj): giống nhau
decide (v): quyết định
1 In a little district west of Washington Square, the streets have run crazy and have broken the district into strange shapes.
2 On such streets, it is very likely that a bill collector with a bill for paints, paper, and canvas would get lost while trying to find the address of the artist who owes him money!
3 They had met at a small cafe on Eighth street and found that their tastes in art, food, and clothes were so much alike that they decided to rent a place together.
In November, a cold, unseen stranger whom the doctors called pneumonia came to Greenwich Village, touching people here and there with his icy fingers.1 A small woman with blood thinned by the warm California sun was no match for the tough and deadly illness. Johnsy got pneumonia, and it made her very ill. She lay, hardly moving on her iron–framed bed, looking through the small window at the brick wall of the building next door.2
One morning, the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway. His eyes were sad under his bushy gray eyebrows.
“She has one chance in – let us say, ten,” he said, as he looked at his clinical thermometer. “And that chance depends on her will to live. Some-times when people give up trying to live, it doesn’t matter what medicines I give.3 Your friend has decided, for some reason, that she is not going to get well.”
Check up
Choose the phrase that has different meaning.
a. The deadly illness
b. The California sun
c. A cold, unseen stranger
Key Words & Sentences
unseen (adj): vô hình
icy (adj): lạnh lẽo
match for: phù hợp
thin (adj): mỏng manh
tough (adj): khó khăn, gay go (khó chữa)
deadly (adj): chết người
illness (n): căn bệnh
hallway (n): hành lang
bushy (adj): rậm rạp
eyebrow (n): lông mày
chance (n): cơ hội
clinical thermometer (n): cái cặp nhiệt độ
depend on (phrasal verb): phụ thuộc vào
will (n): ý chí
give up (phrasal verb): từ bỏ
matter (n): vấn đề
medicine (n): thuốc chữa bệnh
get well (idiom): khỏe hơn
1 In November, a cold, unseen stranger whom the doctors called pneumonia came to Greenwich Village, touching people here and there with his icy fingers.
2 She lay, hardly moving on her iron-framed bed, looking through the small window at the brick wall of the building next door.
3 Sometimes when people give up trying to live, it doesn’t matter what medicines I give.
“Is she worried about anything?” continued the doctor.
“She . . . she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day,” said Sue.
“Paint? Nonsense! Does she have any important worries, like about a man, for instance?”
“A man?” asked Sue, with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. “Is a man worth dying for? But, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind.”
“Well, she is weak,” said the doctor. “I will do all that science, as I understand it, can accomplish. But whenever my patient begins to count the days until her own funeral, I subtract 50 percent from the power of medicine to cure.1 If you could get her to ask one question about the new winter clothing styles, I will promise you a one-in-five chance for her, instead of one in ten.”2
After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried her eyes dry. Then she walked carelessly into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling a popular and lively tune.3
Check up
Complete the following sentence.
The chance for Johnsy to get well at present is _____ in ______.
Key Words
paint (v): sơn, vẽ
the Bay ot Napples: vịnh Na-pô-li (Ý).
worry (n): sự lo nghĩ
for instance (idiom): Ví dụ
touch (n): sự đụng chạm nhẹ
sarcasm (n): lời mỉa mai
be worth (idiom): đáng
accomplish (v): hoàn thành
patient (n): bệnh nhân
count (v): đếm
funeral (n): lễ tang, chôn cất
substract (v): trừ (toán học)
cure (v): chữa khỏi bệnh
instead of (adv): thay vì
workroom (n): phòng làm việc
cry one’s eyes dry (idiom): khóc hết nước mắt
drawing board (n): bàn vẽ
whistle (v): huýt sáo
tune (n): giai điệu
Key Sentences
1 But whenever my patient begins to count the days until her own funeral, I subtract 50 percent from the power of medicine to cure.
2 If you could get her to ask one question about the new winter clothing styles, I will promise you a one-in-five chance for her, instead of one in ten.
3 Then she walked carelessly into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling a popular and lively tune.
Johnsy lay, scarcely making a move under the bedsheets, with her face toward the window.1 Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep.
Sue arranged her board and began a pen-and-ink drawing to illustrate a magazine story. Young artists must find their ways to true Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors must write to find their ways to true Literature.2
As Sue was sketching a pair of elegant trousers and a cowboy hat on the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated.3 She went quickly to the bedside.
Johnsy’s eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting – counting backward.
“Twelve,” she said, and a little later, “eleven”; and then “ten,” and “nine”; and then “eight” and “seven,” almost together.
Check up
Complete the following sentence.
The low sound Sue heard was that of Johnsy’s ______ something.
Key Words
scarcely (adv): chỉ vừa mới
make a move (idiom): đi đến, di chuyển đến
bedsheet (n): ra gường,
khăn trải gường
asleep (adj): ngủ
arrange (v): sắp xếp
pen-and-ink (n): bút và mực
drawing (dạng V-ing của động từ “draw”): vẽ
illustrate (v): minh họa
magazine (n): tạp chí
author (n): tác giả
literature (n): văn chương, giới nhà văn
elegant (adj): thanh lịch, tao nhã
trousers (n): quần dài
hero (n): anh hùng
repeat (v): lặp lại
bedside (n): cạnh gường, mép giường
backward (adv): đếm lùi
(trái nghĩa với “forward”)
Key Sentences
1 Johnsy lay, scarcely making a move under the bedsheets, with her face toward the window.
2 Young artists must find their ways to true Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors must write to find their ways to true Literature.
3 As Sue was sketching a pair of elegant trousers and a cowboy hat on the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated.
Sue looked curiously out the window. What was there to count? There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick building eight meters away.1 An old, old ivy vine climbed halfway up the brick wall. The cold breath of autumn had blown its leaves from the branches.2
“What is it, dear?” asked Sue.
“Six,” said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. “They’re falling faster now. Three days ago, there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now it’s easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now.”
“Five what, dear? Tell your Susie.”
“Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls, I must go, too. I’ve known that for three days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”
Check up
Johnsy was counting the leaves because _____.
a. she was too bored and sleepy
b. she needed to do something not to sleep
c. she identified the leaves with herself
Key Words
curiously (adv): tò mò
bare (adj): trống trải, xơ xác
dreary (adj): ảm đạm
yard (n): sân
blank (adj): trơ trụi
ivy vine(n): dải dây leo của cây
thường xuân
climb (v): leo trèo
halfway (adj): nửa đường
breath (n): hơi thở (verb: breathe)
autumn (n): mùa thu
blow (v): thổi bay
(blow - blew - blown)
leaf (n): chiếc lá (số nhiều: leaves)
branch (n): cành cây
in a whisper (idiom): thì thầm
fall (v): rơi
(fall - fell - fallen)
ache (adj): đau
Key Sentences
1 There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick building eight meters away.
2 The cold breath of autumn had blown its leaves from the branches.
“Oh, I’ve never heard of such nonsense,” complained Sue, with magnificent scorn. “What do old ivy leaves have to do with your getting well? And you used to love that vine, you silly girl. Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well very soon were – let’s see exactly what he said – he said the chances were ten to one!1Why, that’s almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride on the subway or walk past a new building.2 Try to eat some soup now and let Susie go back to her drawing, so she can sell it to the editor.3 Then I’ll buy some port wine for my sick friend, and pork chops for my own greedy self.”
“You don’t have to get any more wine,” said Johnsy, keeping her eyes fixed out the window. “There goes another. No, I don’t want any broth. That leaves just four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I’ll go, too.”
Key Words
complain (v): phàn nàn
magnificient (adj): tột độ
scorn (n): sự khinh bỉ
have to do with: phải làm
silly (adj): ngu ngốc
exactly (adv): chính xác
ride on (phrasal verb): đi bằng các
phương tiện như tàu điện ngầm, xe lửa
(ride - rode - ridden)
subway (n): xe điện ngầm
editor (n): biên tập viên
port wine (n): rượu vang đỏ Bồ Đào Nha
pork chop (n): sườn heo
greedy (adj): thèm thuồng
self (n): bản thân
fix (v): dồn sự chú ý
broth (n): nước luộc thịt, nuớc dùng
Key Sentences
1 Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well very soon were - let’s see exactly what he said - he said the chances were ten to one!
2 Why, that’s almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride on the subway or walk past a new building.
3 Try to eat some soup now and let Susie go back to her drawing, so she can sell it to the editor.
“Johnsy, dear,” said Sue, bending over her, “will you promise me to keep your eyes closed and not to look out the window until I am done working?1 I must hand those drawings in by tomorrow. I need the light, or I would draw the shade down.”
“Couldn’t you draw in the other room?” asked Johnsy, coldly.
“I’d rather be here by you,” said Sue. “Besides, I don’t want you to keep looking at those silly ivy leaves.”2
“Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy, closing her eyes and lying white and still as a fallen statue, “because I want to see the last one fall. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of thinking. I want to let go of everything and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.”3
“Try to sleep,” said Sue. “I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old Western miner.4I’ll be right back. Don’t move until I come back.”
Key Words
bend over (phrasal verb): ruớn người về phía
hand in (phrasal verb): giao (thành phẩm)
light (n): ánh sáng
draw down (phrasal verb): hạ xuống
shade (n): mành treo cửa
would rather: thích
besides: ngoài ra
still (n): yên
statue (n): bức tượng
be tired of (idiom): mệt mỏi
let go of (idiom): buông xuôi
go sailling down (idiom): chìm xuống
call up (phrasal verb): gọi
miner (n): thợ mỏ
Key Sentences
1 Will you promise me to keep your eyes closed and not to look out the window until I am done working?
2 Besides, I don’t want you to keep looking at those silly ivy leaves.
3 I want to let go of everything and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.
4 I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old Western miner.
Comprehension Quiz
A. Based on the story, mark “T” if true or “F” if false.
1. Greenwich Village was perfect for artists who wanted to escape from bill collectors. T...F
2. Johnsy was from the cold north; Sue was from the warm south. T...F
3. Johnsy and Sue met in college as roommates. T...F
4. Sue made money by drawing advertisements for magazines. T...F
B. Complete the sentences using the proper forms of the verbs.
whistle - sketch - get - well - count - look
1. As Sue was _____________ a cowboy, she heard a low moaning sound.
2. Johnsy lay on her bed _____________ through her window at a brick wall.
3. What do old ivy leaves have to do with your _____________?
4. Sue came into Johnsy’s room, _____________ a popular tune.
5. Johnsy was _____________ backward: “Eight-seven-six...”
C. Choose the correct answers to the questions.
1. What does Johnsy believe?
(a) She believes she will die when the night falls.
(b) She believes she will die when the first snowflake falls.
(c) She believes she will die when the last leaf falls from the ivy.
2. What does the doctor tell Sue?
(a) That Johnsy’s chances of survival will increase if she becomes interested in fashion.
(b) That Johnsy must find the will to live.
(c) That Johnsy should move to a warmer apartment.
D. Complete each paragraph with the words below.
unseen - climbed - breath - touching - blown
1. In November, a cold, _____________ stranger whom the doctors called pneumonia came to Greenwich Village, _____________ people here and there with his icy fingers.
2. An old, old ivy vine _____________ halfway up the brick wall. The cold _____________ of autumn had _____________ its leaves from the branches.